Youth Engagement: Good for Families, Communities, and the Economy

Overview

Building Healthy Communities of Opportunity

Overview

From San Francisco, California to Flint, Michigan, the nation is facing an escalating housing crisis. Skyrocketing rents, inadequate infrastructure, and stagnant wages have deep implications on both the prosperity and the health of families. With the housing market failing to serve the vast majority of Americans, PolicyLink and The Kresge Foundation partnered to develop a new equity framework that highlights how the confluence of health and housing can potentially drive better outcomes in both fields. The groundbreaking report, "Healthy Communities of Opportunity: An Equity Blueprint to Address America’s Housing Challenges," weaves together insights from health, housing, and economic security to outline a case for progressive, equity-focused policy.

This webinar, hosted by PolicyLink and The Kresge Foundation, discusses post-recession housing challenges facing households in America, and the housing policy priorities that would create smarter, healthier, resilient, inclusive communities. The webinar featured national leaders focused on how thoughtful, coordinated investments can shape the next generation of healthy communities.

Overview

The Fair Housing Act of 1968 requires HUD to conduct programs in such a manner that “affirmatively furthers fair housing” – a term that has never been defined. Responding to concerns raised by the Government Accountability Office and stakeholders, the proposed Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule does three key things:

Clarifies the definition of AFFH to include actions that expand mobility for all households in opportunity-rich communities, reducing segregation and concentrated poverty – as well as actions that invest in high-poverty communities, expanding opportunity for existing residents.

Improves the process that local jurisdictions undertake to ensure that HUD funds are being used to further fair housing by aligning it with Consolidated Plans for CDBG and HOME allocations and with Public Housing Plans for public housing dollars.

Provides local jurisdictions with consistent data to ensure that grantees can measure their progress on reducing segregation and racially concentrated

Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) Rule is Sound Policy

Overview

While the Fair Housing Act has largely succeeded in outlawing overt housing discrimination, it has been less effective in promoting equal opportunity, in large part because of a lack of clarity and technical support surrounding the mandate to “affirmatively further” fair housing goals.

The AFFH rule provides much-needed clarification of the Fair Housing Act and provides support to HUD grantees that makes grantees better equipped to promote fair housing choice, foster inclusive communities, and increase opportunity for all residents.

AFH Roles Matrix

Overview

In this table, you will find examples of the different types of stakeholders that could be included in the AFH and what expertise and assets they may bring. You will find information on the kinds of data they might have access to, resources and in-kind support they might leverage and policies or programs they could implement to increase access to opportunity and promote fair housing.

This is not meant to be a checklist, but rather a tool for brainstorming potential stakeholders that will amplify the success of the AFH. Keep in mind that not every HUD program participant will need to include all of these players; however, many may play a vital role in ensuring better AFH outcomes, which leads to increased access to opportunity for historically marginalized communities.

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The Equitable Innovation Economies (EIE) pilot presented an opportune moment for LISC Indianapolis and Plan2020 to work collaboratively to reach the dual goals of embedding equity objectives in an emerging citywide policy framework, as well as in LISC’s industrial revitalization activities.

Overview

PDC, Portland’s redevelopment, urban renewal, and economic development agency, has documented that change is coming — according to the National Equity Atlas, by 2040, 42 percent of the city’s population will be people of color. Recognizing the fact that Portland’s economic future is tied to growing the wealth of the city’s communities of color, he agency made equity and inclusion the central themes of its five-year strategic plan, adopted in 2015.

New York - Building A 21st Century Production Economy For All New Yorkers

Overview

The company has three founders of color who graduated from the Pratt Institute’s Industrial and Product Design programs in 2014 and 2015. The following year, Wear.works received an initial prototyping budget, access to mentorship and support, and other resources to launch their business as one of six fellows of the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC)’s Next Top Makers program.

San Jose - Building Pathways To Good-Paying Jobs In The Heart Of Silicon Valley

Overview

San Jose has been a bastion of high-tech manufacturing since the emergence of Silicon Valley, but the future of this industry is far from assured. To strengthen the sector and open up opportunities for a new generation of diverse workers, the City is using a silo-busting strategy that combines business support, workforce development, and land use preservation.